County creates sex offender search, prompts changes in school notifications

May 4, 2010

By Chantelle Lusebrink

The King County Sheriff’s Office website now includes a sex offender website search that allows users to view information about sex offenders within a two-mile radius of a given address.

As a result, the Issaquah School District has slightly altered its sex offender notification system.

District officials used to send out alerts from time to time about class two and three sex offenders that had already been living near their schools for some time.

Now, district officials will send out reminders for parents to check the county’s website.

District officials will continue to post meetings and information from the sheriff’s office when new level two, considered moderately likely to re-offend, or level three, considered highly likely to re-offend, offenders move within close proximity of any of their 25 schools, said Sara Niegowski, district communications director.

Typically, district officials inform parents if an offender lives within two to five miles of the school or any major walking routes to the school.

“We are committed to working with the sheriff’s office to publicize meetings and information about those who move into our area,” she added.

District officials will continue to send out E-News notices to community members affected by a sex offender’s new registration and will post community meeting dates on their main website.

The only slight change is limiting resending information to parents about sex offenders already located in a school’s vicinity.

When visiting the website, users are first shown an offender’s basic information — age, height, weight and a notification if the offender is noncompliant — as well as a photo. Users can then click the “view details” link to see conviction details and offender level classifications.

Level one offenders are least likely to re-offend; level three offenders are most likely to re-offend.